Vortex eliminator in air handling apparatus



July 27, 1943. 1-. A. WALTERS VORTEX ELIMINATOR IN AIR HANbLING APPARATUS Original Filed May 27, 1937 Jnmm THOMAS A. WALT 5R5,

Patented Jul 27, 1943 UNI ED-- TATE PATENT, cam-e Q T j V 2, 5,154. ii v f i 'VORTEX ELIMINATOR IN Am HANDLING v -.-APPARATUYS' -V Thomas A."Walters;DetroitQQllIiclL, assignor to i American Blower Corporation, Detroit, Mich.) a corporation of Delaware .iOriginalapplication .May 27, 1 937; Serial ldo'. 145,105. Divided and this application November 1,1940, SerialNo. 363,931 w,

- I fi Claims." romeo-420) My invention relates to far is and in particular to the elimination of the vortex whirl at the fan inlet.

It has beena problem in connection withithe' inlet ducts and passageways tofans toprevent the revolutionof air in the inlet passageways or chambers sothat rotating air does,not';enter into,

the eye of the fan. The problem has beento prevent whirl in the air entering the eye of the fan without causing undue air resistance in doing so,- and at the same time, to not only maintain but increase the efficiency of the fari. It will be understood that the air, if not'so controlled,=-

has a tendency to continue whirling in the inlet passageway or duct and without proper entrance into the eye of the Ian, which reduces the chi-- ciencyof the fan. As the efiiciencyof the fan is increased, there is a marked saving, in power in the operationpf the fan.

It is the object of my present invention vide eliminator means or plates known as vortex eliminator plates. These plates are'located-in inlet chambers and ducts which convey-airto the fan; They. prevent the continued revolution of the air in these .enteringlpassageways, causing the air to enter the fan properly and resulting in a very marked increase in efficiency of the fan and in savings in power necessary to operate it. i I in i This is a division of my application Serial No.

145,105, filed May 27, 1937, now matured into Patent No. 2,233,991. I H

Referring to the drawing:

V Figure l is a side elevation of a fan, the vortex eliminator plates, andth e inlet duct to the tan chamber with one side wall removed to disclose the arrangement of the plates with respect .to

the fan. i e I Figure 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Figf ure 1. V x I v i Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 oi Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1. showing the modified form of inlet box. e I Figure 5 is a section on the line 5.5 of Figurel.

Figure 6 is a vertical section through a modified form of fan and inlet box construction.

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view" thereof. I

Figured is a front elevation thereof. Referring tov the drawing in detail, I is an inlet duct which conveys air into a chamber 2 known as the inlet chamber. This chamber has located within it the volute fan casing 3 which has side entry openingswi or morejplates known as vortex eliminator plates 6 which extend between the fan casing and the fan,,wou1d obstruct the passage of air into the fan, and would set up .back pressureandturbulehce-within the inlet: chamber, whichgwouldube disastrous, to efiiciency; Y

, Lhave found that none of these apatite sultsoccursbut tothe contrary the vortex. withn in thei lletchamberis eliminated and the tend-f may of the air tocontinue:whirlingwhen err-.

tering -theeye of the fan at fliislsub'stantially eliminated; This has resulted insuchan increase in-.-efiicie ncy that I have found there is a saving. of from three to :ten per cent horsepower ior cen-f' trifugalfans and as much as eighty-tWqpQrcent. for propeller type fans, in the driving oftheffan for an equivalent amount of ,airhandled. @A fter the air enters the eye of thefan W-lthOlltthilSfiX cessive'vortex whirling, it is discharged bythe rotor of the fan in the usual manner thr-oughth discharge passagewayl In Figures l to 3, the plates are arranged om either side of the fan,.preferably in a vertical ,po-

imo I .I Figuresfl and 5 these plates are arranged in the full line position radially from the axis of. theian as indicated.- 1;; "1 j i In Figures 6'to 8-inclusive, a vertical transverse.- plate is mounted across-theback'of the fan with} in the air' inlet chamber of the fan so that th'e; .air is guided in itsv right angle flow through-the; 1 fan Withoutv turbulence and withoutlexcess'ivevor-I tex whirling. The air' circulating device disclosed in Figures 6 to 8 inclusive consists of a disk or propeller type fan 5a which is suitably mounted upon a drive shaft in. Theianfia; rotatesina;

plane which is substantially ata right angle to. the axis the drive shaft l8. directing ring II surrounds the fan 5a,,and provides the; I discharge outletfrom a chamber 12 provided within the air inlet duct or casing i Air is admitted to the chamber I2 through The direction or air flow is. altered'by the fan I as; air i l w enin s 3 1 rov d in theeside, walls .ot the duct or casing I.

5a so that the air discharged from the chamber I2 by means of the fan 5a is moving in a direction substantially parallel with the drive shaft). The vortex eliminator plate 6 is positioned transversely of the chamber l2, and is arranged parallel with the drive shaft: [0. The votex eliminator plate 6' has one edge thereof entering the chamber I2.

prevents the development of air vortex-adjacent the inlet side of the disk or propeller fan 5a.

l-ltywilll be understood that I desire toficomprehend: "within my invention gsuch modifications as 'may beiclearly embraced Within the claims and EScOpe'iOf my invention; V e 7 Having; thus fully described m'y inven'tion, what :I'claim asfn'eW and -desire to secure 'by' LettersrPatentlisz" 1. In combination; an'air inlet chamber for anairwcirculating'fan,Jan air outlet opening in said charnber, 'a-propeller =or=disc type 'fan located adu'ac'ent :said. outlet for receiving air from-said chamber and disch'arging:the air therefrom, an

air inletfor said chamber in the peripherythereoi'whereby the air enters said chamber-angularly and passe's ajcross the inlet f ace o'f thefan te'ndinglito produce a vortex -in said "chamben and a vortex elimin'ating bafilein'saidchamber having oneedgeithereof immediately adjacent the inlet face "of saidq'ian whereby said inlet air ispie-- vented from} rotation in said chamber 1 adjacent 2.;In jcombination an air flow chambe for an air circulaiting fan -havin'g at least one air inletiopening "in the perimeter thereof and anair outlet "opening whereby '=the-air in flowing through the chamber is discharged therefrom 'atasubStantiaLangle to the direction-of new of the inlet air thereto, a propeller or disc type fan locatedin the air outlet opening of said chamber and adapted to produce air how therethrough, and a vortex or air whirl eliminating disposed transversely across said chamber parallel to the in let' air flow to said chamber having onev edge thereof imrn'edia'te-ly ad jacent memes ceof said fan whereby said'inlet air isprevented' irom rotation in -said chamber adjacent the inlet -face o'f-said'fan; --35 In c'ombmation, an air=in1'et chamber for a-n air circulating"fan having' not less than one side opening forair entry, a' transverse-vcrtex Whirleliminating baffle ex -tending completely across said chamber and located in a pla-ne'par aillel to the initial direction of air flow'into saidii rl'etchamber; and a propeller'fan having'the inlet tace thereof disposed substantially paralll'f tothe-d-irectionof flow of theinlet air-in said" cl i'amberifor causing a discharge airflow"atro'r'n" said chamber paralleI- to-the -axi's' of rotationof said fan lo'oated in the discharge end 'f; said chamber-androta-table upon an axis disposed an gularly to'the direction of inlet air flow into the inlet chamber; said bafile having one edge 7 thereof immediately adjacent the inlet face of said fan whereby said inlet air'is, prevented from rotation in said chamber while wholly unobstructedin itsflowto said race.

' 4. In combination, a fan forcirculating air constructed and arranged for discharging a body of air therefrom substantially coaxial with the dej of the fan and from whichthe fan draws ai from movement therethrough, an air inlet openingjfin siaifd chamber arranged for causing air *to' enter tl '1e"chainber angularly with respect to'the axis-or rotation of the fan and with re- 7 'spect'=toifl=the inlet face of the fan wherebythe v inlet airtendsto rotate in said chamber before ente'ring s'aidfanfand a plana baffle plate parallel with the axis of rotation of the fan extending transversely across the chamber with one edge i'riparallel' jtixtaposition to the plane of drawn; by thei'an substantially-axially including mean-s for-tiling a chamber, an' air outlet opening in a of s'aid"chamber forming means through which air is supplied to api opeller' or disc type ran; an air inlet in wa-u of said chamber formmeans which directs the inlet air into said' chamber angdl'arly to the direction of'move'ment of ohe' air from. said chamber through said outlet opening whereby-the ai in said chamber tends --to -rotate and s'et iip an air vortex in said said-chamber substantially parallel to the direction oi fl'ow' of air into said chamber through said i'n-let operiing to preventootation of the the 'fa-i fro e' 'cha'iriber substantially axially tothe fari"a n ithou't" rotation imparted theretoi- 6. An air inletchamber for a propeller or "disc tyre air "cir'culatirig fari"and from which air'is drawnby' the ma substantially -axially' including means forming a chamber, 'an ai'rgoutletopen ing in a Wall of said' -chambe forini ng-means thro-ughWvh-ich air-is-suppliedto apropeller 'or ype fanj'a'n a'i mien in a'wan of said c arm ber-forming ri'ietrns which directs theinle't 'air into "said "chamber ang'ularly to the'direction of movement of the air from said chamber through said outletbpening whereby the" airin said coin-saidclian1b'er, and a bafiiameans extending completely across said chamber and across said" outletbpeni-ng "substantially parallel to the direction of flow of air into said chamber through saidinlet openin to prevent rotation of the all in said chamberso that the fan can receive'the air from the-chamber substantially aXial-ly'to the rea -and w-i-thout rotation imparted therefto,

rotation or the air inlet' 'face of said 'fana'nd' the opposite edge adjacent a wall of said cham-- chamber; and a bafll'e means extendingacross" air samehamber so that the fa n can receive chamber tends to rotate and set up an air vortex THOMAS AL ERS? 

